Well tool



NOV. 4, 11939. A, E, JQHNSON 2,179,594

WELL TOOL Filed June 9, 1958 Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES WELLTOOL Albert E. Johnson, Lennox, S. Dak. Application June k9, 1938,Serial No. 212,791

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a well tool and more particularly to a devicefor setting and pulling sand points in an oil well or for fishing lostpipe from a well.

One object of the invention is to provide a tool which may be used forsetting an oil point or extracting a well point or lost pipe from a.well and is so constructed that in one position of adjustment it mayfreely pass into or out of a sand point or pipe while in anotherposition of adjustment it may have gripping engagement with walls of thesand point or pipe during lowering of the sand point into a well orextraction of the sand point or pipe from a well.

It is another object of the invention to so form the tool that a sleevecarrying gripping balls will be slidably disposed about the body portionof the device, the body portion having means for releasably holding thesleeve in a position to main-V It is another object of the invention toprovide a device of this character which is of simple construction andvery strong and durable.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure1 is a view showing the improved Well-y.

tool in side elevation.

Figure 2 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in section,the sleeve carrying the gripping balls being released and shiftedupwardly out of the position in which the balls will be held in anextended position, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken transversely through the tool alongthe line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The body l of this well tool is formed of strong metal, such as steel,and this body is shaped to provide a shank E which is circular in crosssection and has a reduced lower end portion 3, as shown in Figure 2. Aring 4 of hard steel is shrunken into place about the reduced lower endportion 3 of the shank and is of a frustoconical formation to provide atapered annular shoulder about the lower end of the shank. This oshoulder is of slightly greater diameter lat its top than the shank andis formed with longitudinally' extending recesses or grooves 5 spacedfrom each other circumferentially of the shoulder, as shownA ducedportion which is alsothreaded and constitutes a neck 'l betweenthe headand shank. The threaded head 6 serves asV means for connecting the upperend of the body portion with means for lowering the tool into a well anddrawing the tool upwardly therefrom and the upper end face of the headis flat to provide a "strikingl surface against which a jar or the likemay have striking contact in ordersto drive asand point to i its properposition at the bottom of'auwell.

About the shank is disposed asleeve 8 which is also formed of `steel orother strong metal and has its upper. end portion internally threaded,as shown at 9, for engagement with the reduced and externally threadedlower end portion Il] of a collar Il which has' its large upper end por@tion formed with at wrench-engaging surfaces,l as shown in Figure 1, anddenesa circumferential shoulder |2. I'he sleeve 8 is screwed intoengagement with the collar Il while hot and then shrunken into place.Therefore, while the sleevev and the collar when reheated may bedetachedfrom each other, they will bevery rmly 'held together and will not beliable to become accidentally disconnected during use of vthe too'l; Thecollar is internally threaded, as shownf'ati3, and, when engaged withthe threads of the neck `'L will maintain the sleeve *in a`raisedposition but permit ,the sleeve and collarrto be released from theneck when it is desired to'have the sleeve and collar moved' downwardlyto the position shown in Figure 1. Openings M which are graduallyreduced in diameter towardtheir outer ends are formed through walls -ofthe sleeve 8,A and in these lopenings are engaged balls -l Ewhich aremovable from a retracted position, vsuch as shownV in Figure 2, to anextended position,v as shown in Figures 1 and 3, for grippin'gengagementwith the walls of `a sand point or apipe which is to be extracted from awell. An opening I6 is formed in the upper end portion of the sleeve 84in order that the balls may be inserted and-since there must beprovided sufficient rspace within the sleeve to permit such insertionV'there has been provided -a pocket 'I1 drilled radiallyfin the shank 2and normally closed by a threaded plugl. When the plug is unscrewed fromthe pocket I'I bya screwdriver inserted through the opening' 16, `a ballmay be dropped into the pocket and the sleeve then shifted upwardlyuntil the ball maybe en-` gaged in theL opening I4 under the openinglli.` The sleeve will then beagain shifted downwardly to move the'opening I6 into alinement with the pocket and another ball droppedintothe pocket, after which the' sleeve will beshfted upwardly.;

and turned to move another opening I4 into alinement with the pocket andthe ball shifted into the opening I4. This will be repeated until all ofthe balls are engaged in the openings I4 and the plug I8 replaced in thepocket. The head of the screw will be flush with the surface of theshank 2 when screwed into the pocket and, therefore, will not interferewith free turning or vertical movements of the sleeve. As long as thesleeve is in the raised position-'shownfinliigure 2 or in threadedengagement with the" neck 'I, the balls will remain in the retractedposition and permit free insertion of the device into a sand point orpipe and also free removal thereof f rp the sand point or pipe, but assoon as the slee moves downwardly along the shank?l `to a positiOIl' inwhich the balls will engage inthe groovesor recesses 5, a cam actionwill take place"which'f`^ will force the balls outwardly through theopen-,

ings I4 to the extended position shown in Figures 1 and 3 for grippingengagement'withth' walls of the Sandpoint or pipe. 'Upwardpulllex ertedupon thebodyportion while the balls are: in contact with the wallsfofthe sandpoint or pipe will cause outward pressure 'to 'be applied to theballs and a iirmer"e grip vexerte'clbyrthe' balls'. It will thus be seenthat .thev sand. point or the pipe may be drawn upwardly withoutslippage occurring which would permit the sandpoint or the pipe to dropback into the well.

In order that the device `may be gi'iided4 into the upper end of a pipe'to be withdrawn'from a well, there has been provided a'point I9 fwhich'is detachably applied to the lower end of lthe` sleeve 8 by having itsthreaded shan'kZIJ screwed into the lower end of the sleeve. This pointltapers to its lower end 'in order' fthat'it 'mayi easily enter the upperend vof a pipe' to be {re-f moved from thewell and guide the sleeve'intothepipe. When a pipe is to be removed which' has within it a rod, 'therod may Ainterfere withy inward passage of the sleeve when thepointlllll is in place. When such a pipe isftoberemoved' the point willbe unscrewed from the sleeve and? the device shifted vertically intheWelLun'til the lower end of the sleeve' engages inthepipe. *V

When this well tool is in use for setting a sand point in place at thebottom of a""well,` thefhe'adf 6 is screwed into engagement with 'a'carrier by: means of which it istov belowered'. 'The'fslee've'- 6 withthe point I9fremov'ed therefrom is then@ thrust into the sand point withtheaballs 15in the retracted position, after whichthe .collarfrl I2 willbe unscrewed from the neck 'I andlnthecolf lar and the sleeve allowed toslide downwardly? along the shank 2 to a'loweredpositi'on in Whichl theballs will engage in the grooves 5 of the sho'ul-f der 4 and be moved toan extendedpositionin-. which they lwill grip walls of' the. sandpointl? The well tool with the vsand point apple'dtheree" to may then belowered into thel welli'and, when. the sand point is rmly set in placeat the bot-l tom of the well, rotary movement'will be impart-' ed to thebody portion 'to engage the threaded neck with the threads of the collarand ythe icollar will thenv beheld in a raised position whichiwillfvpermit the balls to' move totheir'retractedrposiJF tions and the toolmaybe drawn'upwardly out"4v of the well without disturbing ther-sandpoint:

V-When it is desired to remove the .sand point, the

well tool is lowered with the'ipoint I9 applied: thereto until thepointguides itinto theisand point, the `collar at this time being'`inthreaded engagement with the threaded. neck-Lr:l't'otary lmotion isthen `impartedfto'"the body!portionl110il release the neck from thecollar and the body may be drawn upwardly through the collar so that theballs will be moved to an extended position by the shoulder 4 and havegripping engagement with the walls of the sand point. The sand point canthen be very easily withdrawn. The same operation will take place whenfishing for a lost pipe in a well, the well tool being lowered until thepoint I9 guides it into the pipe and the collar then .being .releasedfrom` the neck I so that as upward f'pullis'exertedthe ballswill bemoved into an extended position for gripping the pipe and causing thepipe to be drawn upwardly with thewtool. When iishing for a pipe havinga rod -therein, the point I9 will be removed so that it.vvill,riotstrikethe rod and prevent the sleeve from entering the pipe asufcient distance for the ba'lls' tov gripiwalls of the pipe.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

lwAwvell tool of the character described comprisingyabody' having ashank, a cam shoulder aboutj-the'lower end of said'shank,v a threadedportion at the upper end of said shank, a sleeve fitting loosely aboutsaid shank and formed with openings through its wall, gripping membersmovable radially of the sleeve through the openings 'irom a retractedposition to an extended position," the gripping members being movableto* the-extendedposition by engagement with the calnshoulder `when thesleeve is in a lowered position,.rsaidl shankhaving a radial pocket andsaid isleeve `having an opening4 adapted to be alined with the pocketfor insertion of said grippingvmembers, a'removable plug normallyfilling saidl pocket, and a collar carried by the upper endofzsaid-sleeve and internally threaded for engagement .with thethreaded'portion to releasably hold. the `sleeve in a raised position,

2.-,A1Welltool of the Character described comprsingfa body having ashank, a cam shoulder about-:the lower end of said shank, recessesbeingformed, in the shoulder in spaced relation to each othercircumferentially thereof, a sleeve fitting loosely about said shank andslidable verticallythereon,l a point detachably carried by the lowerend=;of said sleeve and depending therefrem,said-sleeve having openingsthrough its wall, vgripping members loosely carried by the sleeve-andmovable through the openings from a retracted position to an extendedposition, the gripping; members being movable to an extendedpositionfbyngagement in therecesses of the cam shoulder When the sleeveis in its lowered position, and means vfor releasably holding the sleevein a raised position with the gripping members retracted.

;3., well tool of the character described comprising ia body having ashank, a circumferentiall-y. extending cam shoulder at the lower endofasaidshank, a threaded neck at the upper end of saidv shank, athreaded head at the upper end Qfsaid ,neck,af-sleeve fitting looselyabout said shank andigformed with outwardly tapered openings through itsWalls, a downwardly tapered point having its upper end screwed into thelower end-,of said sleeve to detachably mount the point, grippingballsmounted 4between the shank and said sleeve and freely shiftable throughthe openings Uofwthe sleeve from a retracted position to anextendedlposition, .the balls being adapted to be moved/to'an extendedposition by engagement with the cam-shoulder when the sleeve is in alowered position, and a collar threaded into the upper; end'portionl ofsaid sleeve and having its upper end portion externally thickened toform an outstanding shoulder engaging the upper end of said sleeve, saidcollar being internally threaded from its upper end for engagement withthe threaded neck to releasably hold the collar and sleeve in a raisedposition.

4. In a Well tool, a body having a shank formed with a radial pocket, asleeve fitting loosely about the body and having an opening adapted toaline with the radial pocket, and gripping members Carried by the bodyand sleeve and being movable from a retracted position to extendedposition, said pocket and opening permitting insertion of the grippingmembers.

ALBERT E. JOHNSON.

